Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-10
HABITS OF SHARKS.

HABITS OF SHARKS.
How Divers for Pearls and Spoogss I1gA9
the Terrible Man-Batsrs.
Talk about sharks! you should SEQ
the big fellows they have in the harbor
of San Domingo" The speaker was
an old sea captain whose voyages have
led him to explore every region Of the
globe. What We consider . big
shark In these watsrs would be . very
small ono there. he continued. Tho
slaughter house where beeves and
sheep are killed every day to supply
the city Of San Domingo with meat
stands upon . rocky eminence over
looking tho harbor. The sharks come
every day at . certain time to feed
upon the offal thrown into the water.
There are hundreds Of them and the
way they fight is terrible to see.
Some Of them jump out of the water
in their fury and lash it into foam with
their tails One big fellow. fully
twenty feet in length. is called by tho
San Domingoans the captain Of the
harbor.' He is exceedingly fierce and
has killed several men alre ady. Every
sea-faring man who has visited the
harbor of San Domingo knows him.
for he is the first shark to make an
appearance in the wake Of . vessel
He was first seen in the harbor twen-
ty years ago. and has found the living
SO good there that he has never left
it since. l suppose he is the most
celebrated shark in the world.
ut is the popular belief that divers
for pearls and sponges in waters
where sharks abound incur terrible
risks. but this is not true. A careful
man has nothing tofear. He goes into
the water heavily weighted has div
er's helmet on his head which enables
him to remain under the surface for .
long time. and is usually armed with
long sheath knife. When he sees
shark approaching. which in those
clear waters may be perhaps one hum
dred yards of, he has only to lie down
fiat. with his back to the bottom Of
the sea, and no living shark can harm
him. Sharks are compelled to turn
over on their backs before they can
seize their prey. Their mouths are
placed SO far back of their long shouts
that it is only by swimming under
their victims and turning. that they
can use their vicious Jaws with effect.
The diver outwits them by acting as
have described. Sometimes a shark
will try to rout him out from his posi-
ton. bnt few stabs of the sheath
knife settles that matter speedily. The
wounded shark swims off with tho
speed of an arrow and the diver pulls
his rope and is hauled to the surface.
Most of the men killed in the pearl
and sponge fisheries are native divers
who venture into the water naked
without any means of defense other
than knife. They can stay under
water for only minute or two at q
time, and if shark approaches they
must either fight him or rise rapidly
to the surface and climb into tho
boats. Even under such disadvantages
Gus circumstances a few of them lose
their lives ~
THE greatest danger to be feared
in the presence Of shark is the paral-
ysis of fear. Sharks unless very
hungry will not attack aman while in
motion. They swim around with
longing eyes waiting for ono
moment when their victims shall
remain quiet and then make
their onslaught On the coast of
Africa the natives fight sharks fear
lessly. They enter the ocean naked.
having first oiled their bodies in order
that they may slide through the water
easily. Their only weapon is stout
stick about two feet in length sharp
ened at both ends. The water is so
clear that they can see for hundreds Of
feet around them. When a shark
swims toward them they wait until the
moment he turns on his back. and as
he opens his Jaws to seize them, they
thrust the stick crosswise into his
mouth and swim off The sharks
mouth being held open by the stick. he
is soon drowned. when the natives tow
him ashore and feast upon his flesh.
For my part do not believe that
sharks are native to American waters.
have heard old seamen say that they
came from Africa, following in the
wake of the first slavers that came to
this country. Those vessels were al
ways so overcrowded that many died
on the voyage. and were thrown over
board. The sharks fed upon their
bodies until they reached this side Of
the ocean. IN r Mail and Express.
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